


Here's to the future, because I'm done with the past

by Nickygp



Series: Cry. Learn. Forgive. Repeat. [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Companion Piece, F/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-08-14 06:24:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8001802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nickygp/pseuds/Nickygp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first Christmas is the hardest. It involves forced conversations, fire, darkness, and letting go of his life. The second time around it doesn't get better; there's too much death around them. But the third Christmas... it finally gets better. </p><p>or how Tony and his new team rebuilt each other from the ground up after Civil War.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Burn

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first companion piece of the many coming for my main fic which you can read [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6904738/chapters/15753163). Please, if you haven't read that one (particularly the first 10 chapters), do NOT read this one. It will make NO sense whatsoever because I am writing under the assumption you read the other fic and a) now what happens and b) understand the relationships depicted here. Obviously this is when the relationships first developed, but this is just additional info to what has already been given in the fic. 
> 
> So, if you want to read this, go read that one and then come back ;)  
> \----------
> 
> “It’s hard to answer the question “what’s wrong?” when nothing is right.”  
> Anonymous

Tony rubbed his tired eyes slowly before letting his hand drop to his lap. He looked out the frosty looking window, his eyes seeing both everything and nothing as his mind began drifting away, too preoccupied with trying to find ways to fit more visits to the families of those lost in Sokovia into his already long list of tasks he needed to complete before the month was out. 

It was a dark and cold December morning - well, he was pretty sure it was morning time, though he couldn’t be one hundred percent sure as he had just come out from his workshop, and he couldn’t exactly remember when it was that he had gone in. He had locked himself in there to finish the briefing report for an upcoming mission and to handwrite the many apology letters they were sending to the German soldiers and civilians that had been left either seriously injured or paralyzed after Rogers’ stunt in Germany when he had gone in to get his friend. 

Tony had wanted to go apologize personally months ago, but the Germans were furious - what with the further destruction of their airport - and were refusing to let any of the current Avengers in. Ross had promised Tony he would find a way to get him in so that he could apologize publicly in a press conference in Berlin, mostly because it was the only way to start repairing the current perilous German-American relations. 

Ross had told him he would be given the all clear to go on the first week of January, but Tony couldn’t wait any longer. They hadn’t said writing letters was illegal, so he would take what he could get. 

They also hadn’t said anything about his company pouring money into the construction of hospitals and facilities for those affected by their former battles, nor had they said anything about him investing in hospitals and shelters that were currently operational, and thus he had spent a considerable amount of money in Berlin, Lagos, Sokovia, London and New York. 

That had had the unexpected but welcomed benefit of gaining quite a lot of support from people around the world which, if he was honest, the Avengers needed right now - not that there were many of them left to call Avengers.

Tony sighed, finally focusing his gaze on a solitary bird that was flying towards the rising sun.

So it  _ was _ morning then.

“Tony?” He heard Rhodey ask from the door, his voice laced with worry. “Why are you up?”

“I was working,” Tony replied distractedly without looking back, not sure if he could currently handle seeing his best friend leaning against the door because the prosthetics tended to bother Rhodey and leave him weak at nighttime and early morning. 

“It’s five in the morning, tones, have you been working all night?” Rhode asked, coming closer.

“I’m fine, Rhodey,” Tony assured, though he could admit he sounded robotic even to his own ears. “C’mon let’s get you to bed, so I can-”

Rhodey put his hand on top of Tony’s mouth, effectively silencing him, and proceeded to grab the man’s hand to drag him to the bed. Tony went willingly, not wanting Rhodey to exert himself more than he had to. 

“Go to bed. Now.” Rhodey’s voice left little room for arguing. The man smiled softly when Tony grumbled but acquiesced, pulling out his pajamas from underneath the pillow. 

Rhodey moved to the other side of the bed, flinging the covers back before sliding into bed, giving his back to his friend. He kept his eyes closed as Tony slid in himself, hearing a soft, sad sigh escape the man’s lips.

This seemed to be their thing now: Rhodey would have to drag Tony to bed to keep the man from working himself to death, and he would stay next to Tony, just like he had in college, to make sure the man actually slept for a few hours. Sometimes Tony would be gone by the time Rhodey woke up, his mind too stressed and too scarred to give Tony more than two or three hours of sleep at a time, but some days, when Rhodey was lucky, he would wake up to find Tony still asleep, the man’s body finally at the point of crashing. 

Those days he didn't allow anyone - not even Ross - to wake Tony up. 

“You're not sleeping,” Rhodey noted quietly, knowing Tony’s breathing pattern far too well. 

“I’m not tired,” Tony lied, even though he knew Rhodey wouldn't buy it for a second.

Rhodey rolled his eyes. “Tony-”

“There’s too many things to do, and not enough time,” Tony breathed out. “I don’t get the luxury to sleep when there's still people out there that -” Tony faltered, shaking his head before finally whispering “Even if I had the time, my mind has already decided I don’t deserve sleep,” Tony ended quietly, keeping his eyes closed tightly.

“Humor me and try,” Rhodey said dryly, not letting his worry show in his voice. He knew Tony wasn’t dealing well with the revelations he had gotten in Siberia, but the man had only opened up about it to Rhodey a week ago, and so Rhodes wasn’t quite sure how to proceed. 

He was still trying to process his own anger at finding out just how deeply Steve had cut his best friend with his betrayal. 

Tony hummed but didn’t say anything else, too tired to speak, to think, to  _ be _ . He waited for almost half an hour until sleep finally claimed Rhodey again to get out of bed, walking quietly back to his workshop. 

The workshop was dark and mostly quiet, which was unusual in it of itself as most of his bots were always up and ready to play. But, the past three months, what with him being gone for such long periods of time, they had taken more of a passive attitude. 

He had technically moved into the compound, mostly because the Avengers headquarters was here, and, with the state the remaining Avengers were in, he was more needed here than in the city. But, that didn’t mean most of his work wasn’t in the city, thus he was leaving his bots behind more and more - as he had moved them with him - which they didn’t seem to be particularly happy about. 

“Alright, FRIDAY, pull up Laura’s file,” Tony said as he stretched his back softly, closing his eyes when the lights came back into life. 

He opened his eyes again and smiled softly when he found the newest design for the tractor open and ready for him to tinker with. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Fury asked, appearing suddenly, as if out of thin smoke, before leaning against the door that lead to Tony’s workshop. 

Tony looked back, forcing himself not to jump in surprise, and raised a single brow. “Does it matter?” 

Part of him wanted to ask Fury why the hell he was in Tony’s workshop so goddamn early in the morning, but part of him already knew that Fury had this weird sixth sense that conveniently seemed to always know where Tony was at any given time. He probably needed FRIDAY to scan him to check if the asshole had put a tracker on him. 

He had no idea why the man kept coming back. He had assumed that, after their first conversation a bit over two months ago, the man would finally let him be, but that had not been the case. He just kept coming back to check up on him or to bug Tony every time he either needed something or felt Tony wasn’t veering in the right direction.

Fury gave him an unimpressed look. “I thought you were preparing the briefing for your upcoming mission.”

“Laura’s tractor broke last week, so I bought a new one and I’m making a few modifications,” Tony explained reluctantly before looking back at the screen. This felt oddly like trying to make excuses for a parent. 

Fury sighed. “I’m not telling you not to help them - you know I approve of you helping them - but don’t you think the mission takes precedence?” 

Tony rolled his eyes and pulled up a file with his free hand. “I already finished the briefing report, Fury, so stop getting your knickers in a twist.” 

Fury’s brows raised at that, and he approached the digital report, reading it quickly. “Tell me, Stark, when was the last time you slept?” 

Tony froze then. “What is it to you?” He said after a few seconds of silence, keeping his tone dry and unbothered.

“Because I’d rather not see you collapse before a fucking mission,” Fury said flatly. “Tomorrow’s Christmas Tony,” Fury said with a sigh. “Just… why don’t you take a break?”

“Says the workaholic,” Tony huffed out. 

Fury rolled his eyes. “You already have the report. You probably won’t get a break until after New Year’s so will you stop being so fucking difficult and take a break for two days? Pretend you are in a celebratory mood and eat something for once.” 

Tony laughed bitterly. “And what exactly do you want me to celebrate, Hook? The fact that my best friend has spent the last three months in excruciating pain trying to adjust to the prosthetics? The fact that the people I thought were like my… the people that were my team – ” he amended, unable to say family “ – are all gone? That Laura is probably crying at home now because her husband isn’t there with her and the kids? That I have spent the past three months going to more funerals and memorial services that I have in a lifetime, even though I feel like I want to tear my skin out every time because I didn’t take action before the government put a stop to us, and even then I wasn’t able to stop Steve? What the fuck is there to celebrate?!” Tony all but roared, his pent up frustration finally breaking free. 

Fury waited until the fire in Tony’s eyes died out to say “You should celebrate the fact that you’re still alive, and therefore can still bring about change. You should celebrate the fact that Rhodes can walk again thanks to your prosthetics, and that you have the time to perfect them. You should celebrate the fact that, slowly, you are rebuilding your fucking team from the ground up and this time you are in control, so you get to decide how to best serve the people. You should celebrate the fact that you have the means to help Laura Barton, and that her kids fucking idolize you.” Fury gave Tony a hard glance. “I know sometimes it feels like there’s no end to this bullshit, Stark, but you can’t give in. I won’t let you.” 

Tony plopped down on his working bench and nodded stiffly. “Sorry,” he whispered. “That was… unwarranted.” 

“It’s fine,” Fury said as he plopped down next to Tony. “You haven’t exploded like that since I first came to see you; I was expecting it.”

Tony chuckled darkly and nodded. “I’ll take the day off today… and tomorrow,” Tony promised. 

“Good,” Fury said with a nod. “Then I’m coming over for dinner, tomorrow.” 

“It’s going to be a depressive dinner,” Tony warned. “It’s going to be just me, Rhodey, and Vision here.”

“I am sure Hope will be more than happy to join us,” Fury said as he stood up. “And I’m sure Dr. Pym will tag along too.” 

Tony raised a brow. “I don’t see this ending well. Hope just joined us two months ago. She doesn’t know-”

“She doesn’t have anyone else, Stark,” Fury said with a shrug. “It’s just her and her father, whom she has a rocky relationship with at best. They spent too many years not talking to each other for it not to be awkward.”

“And coming here tomorrow will help how?” Tony asked, his brow furrowing even deeper. 

“You can be a good host when you want to be,” Fury said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes again. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.” 

“Oh great, now I have to plan something?” Tony sighed, rubbing his face slowly. “What happened to “take the day off, Tony?””

“It’s dinner not a wedding, calm the fuck down,” Fury said from where he was standing in front of Tony. “Just order pizza or something.” 

Tony began laughing then, though whether it was due to heartbreak or actual merriment Fury couldn’t tell.

“Last Christmas we were all here, gathered together to just spend time… as a team,” he said, looking away. “And look at us now.” He smiled again as he shook his head, standing up too. “How easily friendships turn to dust.” 

Fury hummed, unable to contradict the harsh truth the man’s words brought. 

“Why do you care about having a celebration tomorrow?” Tony asked after a few seconds, looking back at the man. 

“Because someone around here has to,” he murmured, before turning around to leave. “At least consider it, will you?” 

Tony sighed. “I’ll order food. You talk to the Pyms, and see if they want to come, but I’m not hosting any of you later than midnight,” he warned. 

“Why, you gonna drink the festivities away without us?” Fury asked not so innocently. 

Tony just smirked at the man, neither confirming nor denying the accusation, which didn’t make Fury feel any better. 

* * *

“Tony?” Laura froze when she opened the door, clearly not expecting to see the billionaire standing on her porch on Christmas eve. 

“Hi, Laura,” Tony said, sounding slightly bashful. “Ah… sorry for not telling you I was coming. I was hoping I could surprise the kids.” 

“Oh they’ll be surprised,” the woman assured as a smile began making its way to her lips. “What… oh my gosh Tony you shouldn't have,” she breathed out when she saw the ridiculously big presents the man was carrying in a little cartwheel which stood behind him.

“It’s Christmas, isn’t it?” He said with a shrug. “Kids deserve to open as many presents as they can when it’s Christmas.” 

Laura’s eyes swelled with tears as the unspoken understanding passed between the two. Yes, kids always loved presents, which is why Tony was here, doing Clint’s job so that the kids wouldn’t feel completely abandoned. 

Laura moved away from the door to let the man in. “Would you like to stay for dinner?” She asked meekly, still unable to process the man’s kindness. 

“I’d love to,” he replied honestly, squeezing her hand before bringing it to his lips to kiss it softly. “C’mon, let’s-”

“Tony!” Lily half screamed as she descended down the stairs two at a time, grinning happily. “Is that for us?”

“Well I don’t know, have you behaved well with your mom?” He asked playfully as the girl finally reached the landing.

She giggled instead of answering and came closer to hug him, peeking from the side to see the presents. “They’re huge,” she marveled.

“That’s why you want to be friends with people that make the big bucks,” Tony deadpanned, ruffling the girl’s hair before pushing the cartwheel deeper into the living room.

“Where are your brothers?” Tony asked.

“Upstairs, playing,” Lily was quick to answer, turning to look at her mom. “Can I open the presents mom?”

“After dinner,” her mother assured her. “Now go play with your brothers until I finish making dinner.”

“Do you need help?” Tony asked.

Laura smiled at him and shook her head. “No, just… play with them, please? They’ve really taken a liking to playing with you.”

Tony’s breath stuttered ever so slightly but he nodded quickly , squeezing her hand again before picking Lily up, much to the girl’s delight, to go upstairs. 

Laura watched them go, a sad smile on her face. A part of her wished nothing more than for her husband to be here with her , to be the one playing with her kids. But, another part of her, the more realistic part of her, was just utterly grateful that Tony had decided to extend a hand to her and her family to keep them from drowning in the emptiness that Clint had left behind. 

She shook her head, refusing to let herself get angry - again. What was done was done and her getting angry wasn’t going to change anything. Her husband had made a choice - the wrong choice - and they now had to live with it. She had to live with it. Her kids had to live with it. 

But it was okay. She and Tony would have to make it okay. Somehow. 

* * *

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting you all to actually come,” Tony admitted as he watched Fury come in followed by Hope and Hank Pym. “What did you do to get them to come, Fury?”

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he would end up having dinner with Hank Pym of all people. His father would have been terribly offended - which, in all honesty, just made this whole thing slightly more bearable. 

Tony walked up to Hope and gave her one of his trademark smiles as he offered his hand. “Good to see you again, Ms. Pym.” 

She took the offered hand and gave him back a cordial smile. “Thank you, Mr. Stark… and thank you for the invitation.”

Tony nodded. “Fury figured some team bonding was in order,” Tony explained as he turned to look at Hank. “Doctor Pym,” Tony said, forcing himself to exude a confidence he had never really felt but his father had always possessed. 

“Mr. Stark,” the man greeted, eyes narrowed and wary. “Director Fury didn’t really explain what tonight will entail.” 

Tony chuckled. “Well I didn’t really see this going anywhere past dinner, doc, but if you wanna stick around after that-”

“I don’t want to hear the end to that sentence,” Hank said as he remembered Howard Stark’s particular brand of humor. “Now where is your dining room.”

“Is he always this stingy?” Tony asked Hope pleasantly as he lead the way to the dining room.

“He’s actually playing nice today,” Hope informed Tony as she gave her father a sly smile. 

“So is Tony,” Rhodes quipped as he walked down the hall to greet them in the dining room, cane in hand. 

“This is Colonel James Rhodes,” Tony told Hank as a ways of introduction.

“Yes, I’ve heard quite a bit about you,” the doctor confirmed. “How are you, son?” 

“Better than yesterday,” Rhodey said with a kind smile as he shook the man’s hand. 

Hank nodded in understanding. “It’ll get better. You just have to give yourself some time to adjust to your new reality.” 

“This is going to get really depressing really fast so why don’t we sit down and eat?” Tony asked, his voice strained. “Vision!” Tony called, knowing the man would be able to hear him easily from wherever he was.

The android appeared a few seconds later, floating up from the floor. “You called, Mr. Stark?” Vision asked, as polite as ever. 

“That is one handy ability you got there, Vision,” Hope noted, sounding slightly impressed. 

“I know you don’t eat, but I figured you could join us, since it’s Christmas and all,” Tony explained as he pointed towards the table, which he had set up with Rhodey’s help. 

“It would be my pleasure,” the android said with a soft smile, floating towards the chairs. He moved one slightly to the side, looking at Rhodey expectantly. 

“You know, I may have a disability now, but I’m  _ not _ helpless,” Rhodey huffed out, though he did not sound angry, before taking the offered seat. 

“I was not implying you were, colonel,” Vision assured him calmly, unfazed by the situation. He sat down opposite to Rhodes, not making any further comments. He had come to realize that it was best to treat Rhodes’ injury just like any other topic, unless the person he was talking to was Tony. 

The android had noticed that it was still hard for the man to talk about the injury without feeling guilty, not that he would ever show that guilt around the colonel. Tony was the picture of support and friendliness when he was near Rhodes, even when the injured man himself got frustrated at the slow progress of healing. He would let Rhodey brood and complain on those days, keeping a hand on Rhodey’s arm without a single comment. 

Vision couldn’t help but wonder, however, who offered this steadying service to Tony when Rhodey wasn’t around to do it. He had learned enough about humans to recognize when someone felt lost or in despair, and Tony seemed to be a prime example. 

He wanted to help the man, of course, but Vision wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. Tony was very different from Wanda, and even with her Vision had never quite known what was the right thing to say or do to help lift her spirits. 

Vision heard a small chuckle coming somewhere from his left and his attention snapped back into the present moment. He hadn’t realized he had tuned out his surroundings to focus on his mind. Wanda had told him it wasn’t necessarily a polite thing to do, and so he had begun avoiding it a while ago, but sometimes he forgot, particularly when the amount of information circling through his mind became all too much.

The Colonel and the Doctor seemed to be talking about the military, if the story Rhodes was retelling was anything to go by. 

“Well I would count that as a successful mission,” Hank laughed when Rhodey ended his story. “And that’s when you became a Colonel?” 

“They said he had showed “outstanding bravery and loyalty to the flag of the United States of America,” Tony said with a small, proud smile. 

Rhodey nodded, his eyes looking lost in the past. “I remember I invited a few of our college classmates to the reception. You see I was never the popular kid in school,” Rhodey explained to Hank as he took a sip of his wine. “And they didn’t think a black kid like me would amount to much.” Rhodey smirked then.

“You paraded around the room with all your stars and decorations, and even made a point to parade the president around the room with you, since he was so smitten with you,” Tony said as he laughed alongside his friend. “Their faces were priceless.” 

Rhodey hummed in agreement. “What about you, doctor? I’m sure the great Hank Pym has some good campfire stories.” 

The man chuckled. “You see my stories are not all that exciting, since most of the work I did, I did without a unit. Though, it was pretty funny to see the faces of the other soldiers when they heard I was constantly being sent on solo missions to take out things that took an entire unit.”

“Was that when SHIELD recruited you?” Tony asked.

“No, I was already a part of SHIELD,” The man said with a smirk. “I was friends with Peggy Carter, who actually managed to land me a considerable amount of funding to perfect the suit. It was all kept top secret, so most of the people I worked with had no idea what exactly was that I did or used when I was sent into the field, but they knew something was up.” 

“How did mom manage to work with you, then?” Hope asked. “Women weren’t allowed to serve as-”

“By the time your mother began working with me, I was working mostly with the heads of the Pentagon and SHIELD, so when she said she designed her suit…” Hank stopped talking for a second, a hint of pain crossing his features before something inside him shut down, forcing all emotions away. “Well, she was one of their greatest assets on the field, and she could kick my ass any day, so it wasn’t much of a problem.”

Tony froze slightly at that, feeling his stomach churn. He knew that reaction. He knew it so intimately it was making his blood run cold. He knew what it was like to shut down emotionally so completely only a mask was left behind. He could understand the pain that Hank Pym had become so good at evading it was second nature for him to just shut down anything that even reminded him of the topic. 

It was the same thing Tony had done when he had first lost his parents.

Tony cleared his throat then, clenching his hands as he looked for something - anything - to say. “So who’s running your company now, Pym?” Tony asked, not even realizing that he had dropped the “doctor”. 

“I am currently overseeing it again,” Pym said, thankful for the change of subject. “There are a few issues left behind by Darren that I’m still fixing,” he half growled, “but now that my suit has been stolen and no one can wear it anymore, I have more time for the company.” 

Tony frowned. “Your suit was stolen? I thought you gave it to Lang,” Tony said matter of factly. 

“I gave it to him to use for a specific purpose, but that suit was never his” Hank explained. “That suit was supposed to help save lives. It was not supposed to be used for a backstreet fight in the middle of a german airport, which caused a ridiculous amount of infrastructural damage as well as private losses for civilians.” Hank’s eyes turned deadly cold. “So no, Scott’s rights to  _ my _ suit have long been forfeited.” 

“I’m sure we’ll find your suit again soon enough,” Fury said. “Though I’m not sure the government will be willing to give it back.”

Hank smirked. “I have a patent on the suit, so, legally the suit, and any suit I have made or that bears the same qualities, belong to  _ me.  _ Sure, they can ask me to not use it unless under their jurisdiction, but the suit is still mine, and if they think they can make it into government property-”

Fury raised his hands. “I’m not working for the government anymore, Dr. Pym. Remember?” 

The man hummed. “I still don’t fully like those accords of yours. They have the right idea behind them, but they need some serious amendments.” 

“I agree, Pym” Tony assured him. “Which is why we’re working on them. We are working on a new draft with a few delegates who are sympathetic to our cause, and we are hoping we can override the current accords and ratify the new one, or at least amend the one that is currently in place,” Tony explained. 

“You’re going to need a lot of connections in a lot of countries for that,” Hank noted. “The Avengers are not particularly liked right now and you’ll need to convince both the public and top government officials that dictate what the delegates choose in the UN.” 

Tony nodded. “I have quite a few contacts around the world,” he said with a smirk. “I’ll have to pull a few strings, but the companies tied to Stark Industries are powerful enough to put some pressure on the right people so that we can get media coverage to help us with public opinion, and I have enough contacts to put pressure on enough delegates to get them to at least consider our proposals.”

Hank hummed. “Just make sure those friends of yours don’t turn on you, or the accords can become very dangerous.” 

Tony nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ve dealt with enough legislation both here and abroad to know how they move.” 

“Oh I am sure you’ll be able to whip the accords into shape,” Hank assured him. “They’re not all that bad right now, which is at least a saving grace for you, because it’ll mean less bureaucratic work for you.” 

Tony nodded, feeling almost as if in the twilight zone. Not only was he having dinner with Hank Pym - a man his father had practically despised - but the man was advising him on how to best go about fixing the team he was now charged with handling. 

Yeah, something had definitely gone so astronomically wrong in his life, it was now taking a one eighty turn into uncharted territory, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. 

“So, Hope, they tell me you also talk to ants,” Fury said conversationally.

Tony turned to look at the man, feeling a wave of gratefulness wash over him as Fury took over the conversation, allowing him to sink back into the background. It wasn’t that he had anything against Pym or his daughter - they both seemed to be extremely intelligent and qualified people, nice even. However, after everything that had happened in the past four months of his life, he wasn’t sure he could handle any form of relationship other than distant acquaintances at the moment.

It was just… easier that way. Safer. 

\----------------

“Tony?” Rhodey asked, his voice rough with sleep. He rubbed his eyes as he walked deeper into Steve’s former office, frowning as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Their guests had left about three hours ago, and he had assumed Tony had gone to bed for once. Obviously he had been mistaken, for here he was as awake as ever at fucking two o'clock in the morning. There was only a small light in the middle of the room, coming from a small contained fire that was burning in a metal can in the middle of Steve’s desk.

“What are you doing?” Rhodey asked before yawning. “Is that whiskey?” He asked as he noticed the drink Tony was nursing in his hand. He sighed. "Tony-"

“Did you know Steve sent me a letter, back when he broke into the raft?” Tony asked instead of answering Rhodey’s question, a cynical smile gracing his lips. He opened the drawer to his left and pulled out a piece of paper which he proceeded to hand out to Rhodey for him to peruse.

The man read it quickly, his lips tightening as his eyes turned choleric. “Please tell me this is a joke," he half growled, trying to keep himself in check. 

“It’s completely real,” Tony said, his smile widening as his friend's anger fed his own. 

“Motherfucker,” Rhodey breathed out before sitting down. “Does he honestly think-” Rhodey clenched his hands, taking a deep breath before saying “since when does saying I’m sorry your feelings got hurt means anything? Fuck that, he’s not sorry for anything, and fuck him for even sending this-” Rhodey stopped himself, looking out the window with clenched hands. 

He took a second to calm himself, before handing back the piece of paper, which Tony left on the desk as soon as it was back in his hands. 

“No, he’s not,” Tony agreed, that sad, almost comical smile on his face. “He doesn’t give a fuck, because he got what he wanted and now he’s sending me his bullshit to try to make himself feel better.” Tony suddenly laughed, a bitter laugh that showed both humor and pain. “why is it that I always trust those who would not hesitate to break me at the first chance?” Tony asked, though whether he was asking Rhodey or himself, he couldn’t quite tell.

Rhodey sighed. “Where’s the phone that came with that bullshit?” 

Tony pointed with his head at the burning metal container, before picking up the letter again. He read it over as he took a long gulp of his whiskey, clearing his throat when the liquid went down. “I guess one generally does this at new years, but I’m not gonna be here on the thirty first so…” He threw the letter into the fire, watching it burn alongside the phone. “Might as well clean out the trash now.”

Rhodey nodded, a small smile on his lips. “Did you save the number or did you just burn it?”

“We won’t be needing Rogers again,” Tony said harshly after a few seconds of silence. “And if we do… well, I’m sure they’ll send us to find him one way or the other.”


	2. Perseverance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That's the only way to keep the roads clear.”   
> ― Greg Kincaid

“How’d it go?” Laura asked as soon as Tony walked through the door, looking more than a bit anxious. 

Tony gave her a tired smile. “The tests went well,” he admitted. “The cradle seems to be fully functional - it’s working better than the original, actually.”

“That’s great!” Laura said with a little gasp, grinning at the man.

Tony nodded. “I want to run a few more test before we put Rhodey in there.”

Laura nodded in understanding. “When are you planning to go ahead with the procedure?”

“After the Holidays,” Tony said, sitting down on the couch in Laura’s living room. “I don't want him recovering during Christmas.”

Laura came closer and squeezed his shoulder. “I can't believe you did it. You finished rebuilding the cradle.”

“Helen was the mastermind behind it,” Tony said immediately. “I just threw money at the project and tinkered with the equipment.”

Laura gave him an unimpressed look. “You built the machine from the ground up.”

Tony hummed, neither agreeing nor denying. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk about the machine; the cradle was the one thing giving him hope for the future and, while for the most part he had no doubt it would work, there was a small part of him that did not believe the machine would work, because this was something that would make him ridiculously happy and apparently the universe had decided - probably rightfully - that Tony did not deserve to be happy. Ever.

“So Christmas is coming up,” Tony said suddenly, changing the topic completely to think of something else other than Rhodey’s coming operation. 

Laura, by now knowing Tony enough when he was looking for an out, nodded, giving him a small smile. “The kids are very excited,” she commented. “Though they are sad Clint won’t be able to come home.”

Tony frowned. “Aren’t you coming to the compound?”

Laura bit her lip. “Well I didn’t want to be presumptuous… the kids are particularly unruly when Christmas time comes around, and I wasn’t sure everyone would be okay with-”

It was Tony’s turn to look unimpressed. “I spend time with your children on an almost weekly basis, and you think I’ll mind them coming over? Besides, it would be a dick move to keep Clint from spending time with his family.”

Laura chuckled, squeezing the man’s hand. “I’ll make Christmas dinner, then.”

Tony smiled. “I’m sure Clint will love it,” Tony assured her. “And if you tell Natasha you’re going, you’ll probably convince her to spend Christmas with you guys.”

Laura froze. “You're not gonna be there?” 

Tony hesitated for a second, not wanting to disappoint Laura but also knowing she wouldn't appreciate being lied to. “Ah, no probably not, but don't worry your kids won't miss their cool presents from uncle Tony.”

“Why aren't you coming? Please tell me it’s not a mission. I thought they had restricted the number of things the Avengers can get involved in.”

“They did. The Avengers are a last resort peacekeeping force. We're not allowed to get involved in political conflicts,” Tony assured her with a shrug. “But that's been the case since we first signed the accords. The only changes we made on the last session was that we can now submit missions to the panel.”

“Then what-”

“Laura, honey, you know I keep a busy schedule,” Tony said with a half plastic smile, that made Laura’s heart tremble with sadness.

She knew that smile. It meant that Tony was putting back on the mask, not letting any of them in. And she couldn’t quite blame him. He was still adjusting to having some of the old avengers back. Natasha had been back for a little less than a year, but Clint had only been back for a few months, and so they were all unsure as to how to proceed.

It wasn’t that they hadn’t made any progress; the three of them could now sit in a room and talk, laugh, and not spew vitriol at one another, but Laura knew Tony was having a hard time letting his defenses back down again. It was better with Natasha than it was with Clint; they weren’t close friends yet, but they had learned to respect each other and they _ listened  _ to each other more now. Natasha had learned how to read Tony much better, and Tony had toned down the sarcasm and the irony, knowing Natasha preferred the truth be given to her straight.  

She could see the glimmers of a strong friendship emerging between the two, and she felt beyond excited to see the two walk down that road, but apparently it wouldn’t be happening as soon as she thought it would.

Tony was still too raw from what had happened a year ago and, until Rhodey was fully healed, he just couldn’t move past Natasha’s part in Rhodey’s injury. He couldn’t quite forgive her, just like he couldn’t forgive himself for having brought Rhodey along, or like he couldn’t quite forgive Vision for shooting the fateful beam that had paralyzed his friend. 

But, if the machine worked, Laura was sure Tony would finally be able to let go of that weight, and he’d finally be able to open himself up again to Natasha, and maybe even to Clint. Though of course she was under no illusions; it would take a lot of work from all of them. 

And perhaps it was asking too much of Tony to just let them back into his heart right before the holidays, when Rhodey was still stuck with prosthetics and Tony was still suffering from heavy nightmares and anxiety because of whatever it was that had happened when he had confronted Steve in Siberia. It was asking too much, which was exactly why she did not push him further.

“Hey I am not the only one that’s not showing up this year. Fury has fucked off to God knows where, Hank and Hope are going to be out of the country, and his pantherness is staying in wakanda so you have to be mad at them if you’re going to be mad at me,” Tony said lightly, hoping to make Laura laugh. 

She came closer and kissed his cheek, before pulling him into a hug, knowing that no more words were necessary. He would not be there, no matter how much he loved her and her kids. He would not let the rest of them so near what was left of his heart, and Laura would support him. She would protect his heart like Tony had protected hers for seven months while she thought she would break from the pain of losing her husband. 

“Just… promise me we’ll go hiking with the kids before the end of January,” she whispered as she rubbed Tony’s upper back. 

She didn’t want him to not celebrate at all just because they were taking over the compound. She didn’t want her kids to feel like uncle Tony was too busy for Christmas.

The man chuckled but nodded, unable to deny his friend her one request. “We’ll do it after New Years. I promise.” 

* * *

“You know, if your aunt finds me here, she’ll think I’m so kind of pervert that is trying to get it on with her nephew,” Tony said casually as he leaned against the headboard, waiting patiently for Peter to get out of his spiderman outfit and into regular clothing. 

“I’d let you wander around the house when you come, but she’s already suspicious of the reason for my constantly spending time with you,” Peter said, his voice muffled by the shirt he was currently yanking on.

“And you think this will ease her mind?” Tony said with a half smile as he pointed between the two and then made a circular motion to indicate the room.

“She’s not even here today,” Peter pointed out with a laugh as he looked for his jeans. “Besides, this is the last chance I’ll get to see you before Christmas, and I wanted to thank you for the awesome new lab equipment you got me, and I also wanted to give you something,” Peter announced. 

Tony sat up slightly at that, trying to not look as surprised as he was. “You didn’t have to get me anything,” he said softly, not exactly sure how to react. 

“I know, but I wanted to,” Peter said with that brilliant smile of his that helped Tony breathe a little deeper every time he saw it. 

The young man walked towards his school bag and yanked it open, pulling out a slim but sturdy binder. He took out a silky looking envelope, and left it on the bed next to Tony - knowing the man hated being handed things - and walked back awkwardly as he gave the man an expectant look. 

Tony looked at the boy and then and the envelope and then back at the boy. Right, okay so Peter - precious, young, sweet Peter - was clearly expecting him to open it now, and Tony wasn’t sure he could do it because something inside him just felt too discombobulated for him to offer the young man the proper reaction most people got when receiving gifts. 

Tony opened the envelope carefully, pulling out a picture of himself in the iron man suit flying above the city. Well, he wasn’t moving in the picture; he looked like he was standing on the sky itself as he looked at the rising sun, his figure looking even more majestic than the empire state, which stood proudly behind him. The picture was in black and white, which made Tony look almost… maudlin. 

He remembered that day. He had had a particularly bad night after he had found out there had been an explosion in the outskirts of a polish city that was particularly pro-Avengers. The bombing had been orchestrated by one of the many grassroots terrorist groups that had sprung up after Berlin. They were all demanding the same thing; that the Avengers initiative be dismantled and the members sent to jail. 

The groups were proving to be a force to be reckoned, particularly since it wasn’t that hard to convince people to hate both the old and new avengers when so many people had died throughout the years that the Avengers had been active. 

That morning, tony had been considering resigning, which is why he had taken his suit and he had flown out to watch the sunrise, wanting nothing more than some peace and quiet in the bustling city that he called home. 

Of course, he had decided against that course of action, but even now the weight of people’s hatred sat heavy on his shoulders. 

“Look at the back,” Peter half whispered. 

Tony obeyed, his breath coming to a screeching halt as he read the scribbled note, written by someone that could not be more than five or six years of age, judging by the spelling and atrocious handwriting.

_ Thank you Ironman for being there whene we need you. Your the superhero i wanna be when i grow up becuz i want peopel to beleav in me like they beleav in you. I love you. _

__ \- Sasha _ _

“How...” Tony began, but couldn’t find his voice. 

“I saw this little boy wearing an Iron Man costume a few weeks ago,” Peter explained as he came to sit on the bed. “I told him I had a friend that knew you, and that I could pass along a note.”

“Where did you get the picture?” Tony asked, his eyes still on the precious note. 

“I took it,” Peter said as he blushed softly, half embarrassed. He rarely talked about his photography skills, even though that was one of his biggest passions. 

Tony clenched his jaw, keeping the tears that threatened to fall at bay. It was not the first time he had gotten a note from a kid that liked him because they thought him a superhero, but he hadn’t seen any in awhile, certainly not since the battle in Germany. He had retreated from society, in a way; now he was there only for those that had been hurt by the Avengers.  

He was there for those that needed him to see their sadness, that needed him to hear their insults, that needed him to take their swings without striking back. He was there to take the blame, regardless of whether or not it was his to take. And there were so many of them he rarely had time these days for the ones that didn’t hate them, for kids like the one that Peter had encountered that still believed in superheroes, that still fully believed in the idea that had brought the avengers together in the first place. 

“You are a hero in so many kids’ eyes, you know,” Peter whispered, keeping his eyes on the wall. “I see a lot of kids in the city, and I’ve talked to a lot of them, and… they love you, Tony.” Peter smiled. “You’re their hero.” 

Tony blinked a few times and cleared his throat, unable to come up with something to say. 

“You’re  _ my _ hero,” Peter said finally, giving the man a shy smile. “You’re really… I know that people are being difficult right now, but most people really do appreciate you, you know? And I know you don’t want me out there in the streets yet, but I just… You help so many people, and I wanna be able to do the same thing.”

Tony clasped Peter’s back, his eyes going soft. “Believe me, Peter, your time will come sooner than you realize. But, to join the Avengers you need to drop the mask, and I know you don’t want to do that yet. You know I don’t mind you helping people in New York, so long as you don’t let anyone catch you,” Tony reminded him. “Thank you for this,” the man said after a few seconds as he looked at the picture again. “It’s… beautiful.” 

Peter smiled at the man but, before he could say anything else, he heard the door to the apartment open. “Shit, Aunt May’s here,” he half whispered, jumping off the bed. “She can’t see you here.” 

“Well I don’t have my suit here, and even if I did I can’t just fly out of here without her hearing,” Tony said quickly as he stood up. 

“Peter I’m home!” May called from the living room as she put her purse down, before walking down the hall to Peter’s room. 

Peter looked at the door with a sense of dread for a second, before grabbing Tony by the hand and yanking him into his closet. “Sorry,” he whispered honestly as he closed the door before turning around to make sure there weren’t any traces of Tony, or his spiderman suit, in the room. 

He put the picture away quickly, and then sat on the bed just as his aunt knocked on the door. “Come in,” he called, his pulse half racing. 

She came inside with a smile, walking towards him to plant a kiss on his forehead. “How was your day, aunt May?” Peter asked innocently, giving her a small smile.

“It was good,” she said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “But I’m starving. I was thinking we could go have dinner, or we could order take-out if you want.” 

“No, we should totally go out,” Peter said quickly. “I’m just gonna put a sweater on and grab my shoes,” Peter said as he all but pushed his aunt out the door. “Just wait for me outside” he said as he closed the door behind him. 

Tony opened the door to the closet then, shaking his head. “Not even in my wildest days did I hide in someone’s closet to keep the adults in the house from seeing me,” he mused. 

“Sorry,” Peter said as he threw Tony the keys to the house. “Lock up behind you,” Peter asked. “I’ll get her out of her quickly, I promise.” Peter bit his lip and, before Tony could reply, he came closer and hugged the man. “In case I don’t see you… Merry Christmas, Tony,” He murmured as he squeezed the man the way he used to do with his father when he was younger. 

Tony patted the back of Peter’s head, a warm smile on his lips and a broken look on his eyes. “Merry Christmas, kid.”

* * *

“We’ve got guests coming over soon,” Rhodey said as he took a seat in Tony’s new study. 

It had taken a few months to build, but the first section or, more accurately, the business study was finally finished. Tony had built it mostly by himself, wanting to have an office where he could host the different UN representatives that came to talk to him throughout the year. It looked quite nice, and FRIDAY was everywhere as she had access to even the walls in the office, which meant there was little chance of someone being able to harm Tony without FRIDAY anticipating it. 

Still, Rhodey was more than a little afraid that Tony would go from the workshop to his office without ever stopping to rest or interact with the other people in the compound when he wasn’t on a mission. He had been pushing himself extremely hard for the past three months, and Rhodey wasn’t quite sure how to get the man to take a break.

“Ah, yeah, about that, I’m probably gonna… skip dinner today,” Tony said evasively as he wheeled himself from his desk to the wall where FRIDAY was running a few tests. 

“Tony it’s fucking Christmas, you cannot tell me you’re not taking a break,” Rhodey snapped icily. “You took a break last year, and you were more busy then than you are now.”

“Back then I wasn’t dealing with terrorist organizations yet, Rhodey honey,” Tony said sweetly. 

Rhodey sighed. “Okay, no I’m done,” the man announced as he hobbled over to where his friend was. He offered the man his hand. “C’mon.”

Tony eyed his friend’s hand skeptically. “Rhodey I really don’t think they need me downstairs today. Besides, Barton hasn’t celebrated Christmas alone with his family - and yes, Natasha is his family too - in years, so I don’t think it’s very nice of us to intrude.”

Rhodey’s eyes zeroed in on his friend, finally taking full stock of the situation, and he nodded.”We’re not going downstairs, dumbo. We’re going out.” 

Tony frowned, taking the man’s hand hesitantly as he said “then when are we going?” 

“We’re going out,” Rhodey said simply, pulling Tony along without much complaint. “FRIDAY, have one of the cars ready for us,” Rhodey asked as he dragged Tony down to the garage, where Tony’s deep red Maserati sat awaiting for them, the elegant lights already on. “C’mon man, you’re driving.”

“You haven’t told me where we’re going,” Tony pointed out but got into the car.  

“We’re going to go buy hot dogs and then freeze at central park,” Rhodey said flippantly as he opened the door to the car. 

Tony couldn’t tell if the man was joking or not. 

\------------------

So Rhodey hadn’t been joking. At all. 

The man had made Tony drive into fucking Manhattan, which had taken  _ hours _ because it was Christmas, and then he had had FRIDAY drive the car back to the compound because of course they weren’t ever going to find parking. Which, okay, Tony didn’t mind not having the car, but that left the question of how the fuck Rhodey was expecting to get back home, especially since it was two in the morning now, and they were just getting around to buying the damn hot dogs.

“Stop overthinking,” Rhodey said calmly as he paid for their hot dogs, drinks, and pretzels. “Come on,” he instructed, giving the vendor a smile before walking away, into the depths of the park via the Columbus Circle entrance. 

“Where are we going, Rhodey?” Tony asked as he fell into step with his best friend. “I don’t think it’s the smartest idea to walk around central park at two in the morning, Rhodey bear, not unless you wanna get mugged. 

“Tony I think you have enough gadgets on you to keep us from being mugged,” Rhodey scoffed as he kept walking, unbothered.

“I’m not really supposed to use my equipment on civilians, you know, and that doesn’t really answer my question-”

Rhodey took the path to the right and kept walking, refusing to answer Tony’s question until they reached Heckscher Playground some ten minutes later. “You’re still overthinking,” Rhodey said with a smile as he walked to the slides. He climbed on with quite a bit of difficulty, but, thankfully, his arms had enough strength to help him get himself to the top of the rather short slide.

“Rhodey, what-”

“Look, we don’t know if the cradle will work or not. We don’t know whether you’ll have to go fight an alien invasion tomorrow or if another psychotic terrorist organization will attack by morning. We don’t know if you’ll ever stop having nightmares or if I’ll ever be able to sleep more than two hours a night. We don’t know if Pepper’s back to being CEO for good, or if she’s going to leave again. We don’t know if her new boyfriend is really all he seems to be, or if they’ll get married or not. But it’s Christmas today, Tony, so tonight I don’t want us to care about those things.” Rhodey took a deep breath. “Just for one night can we please… stop? Twenty something years ago, you didn’t have to worry about anything more than whether or not you’d be the youngest graduate of MIT, and I didn’t have to worry about anything more than whether or not I’d be the soldier that would reach the rank of general the fastest.” Rhodey sighed. “Just for a few hours can we just be… Tony and Rhodey? No avengers, no people, no injuries, no companies, no missions, no armies, just… two old ass friends that want to celebrate Christmas by freezing to death in a kid’s playground.”

Tony’s breath stuttered as he looked at his friend, both more than a bit broken and a bit bruised by life, but still there standing, ready to fight for the world - ready to die for it too.

After a few seconds, he nodded and joined Rhodey in the slide adjacent to the one the man was sitting on. Rhodey passed him his hot dog, pretzel, and black coffee without a word, and they began to eat, enjoying the almost quiet piece the playground provided, given that it was far enough away from the streets of manhattan to drown out the worst of the noise. They looked up at the skyline and Tony smiled. 

“Do you… remember freshman year when you had to keep Keith from punching me because I aced the test he failed on?” Tony asked, his eyes sparkling as he open the lid to those mostly wonderful memories of his time in college. 

“Oh god, I punched him in the face, didn’t I?” Rhodey said with a chuckle as he hid his face behind his hand. “That was the first time we got suspended.” 

“Wasn’t it like three weeks into the first semester?” Tony asked as he turned to look at his friend. 

“Yeah it was before the end of September for sure,” Rhodey agreed as he took a bite of his pretzel. 

“You didn’t even know me well back then. I was a dick those first three weeks,” Tony said, looking slightly confused. “I never did ask you why you defended me back then.” 

“You were never a dick to me, Tony,” Rhodey said with a shrug. “You were mostly a dick to yourself and definitely a dick to your classmates, but I could see you were a good kid.” Rhodey smiled at his friend. “I guess even back then I knew I’d be dealing with your ass getting hurt for a long time, so I had to start practicing how to defend you, man.” 

Tony laughed out loud then and nodded. “Well, you certainly did a splendid job of keeping me alive through college and my masters.” 

“And your first two PhD’s,” Rhodey reminded him. “You got into a fight with Hammer back when he was applying to be in the program you were crushing after just three months of entering.” 

Tony almost choked on his pretzel due to laughter. “Oh, those were the good days,” he reminisced. “I still remember his face when I told him I was going for my third PhD when he was still trying to finish his first.” Tony laughed harder. “He punched me, if I remember correctly. He was feeling particularly lucky that day, since you weren’t there to scare the bejesus out of him.”

Rhodey hummed. “To be honest, you did have that one coming. Of what you told me later, you were particularly nasty that day to him.” 

“Oh, come on, he’s Justin Hammer. He deserves my dickishness,” Tony said with a shrug. “Besides, we clearly established I was better than him a long time ago. It just took him a while to accept that.” 

Rhodey shook his head in amusement. “He had a crush on you at one point, didn’t he?”

Tony scrunched up his nose. “I don’t know, and I don’t ever want to find out,” he said with distaste. 

Rhodey chuckled, which got a small smile out of Tony. The younger man leaned against his friend and Rhodey hugged Tony closer to keep the man warm. “You should probably call us suits,” he noted, feeling a pang of sadness as he mentally prepared himself to leave the park, to go back to their rather depressing real lives. 

“Yeah, I should,” Tony said with a sigh, sitting up to press a few buttons on his watch, feeling as the lovely warmth reminiscing had brought slowly dissipated, leaving him cold inside again. 

* * *

“Tony?” Natasha asked from where she was sitting on the couch, her legs raised up to chest level. 

Tony froze near the doorway to the living room. He had been planning on getting something to drink before bed, but he had not expected to find Natasha awake. 

He turned around slowly and forced a smile on his face. “Hey, Natasha.” 

“I… I thought you were out of town,” she admitted, sitting up.

“No, we were just out with Rhodey for a little bit,” he said, feeling slightly embarrassed for being caught lying. 

Realization hit Natasha, and she nodded, a sad look crossing her features. “I see. Did you have fun?” 

Tony shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. We didn’t do that much,” he said as he scratched the back of his head. 

“We missed you here today,” Natasha said tentatively. “Laura’s kids were asking about their uncle,” she said as she smiled.

Tony’s smiled softened at that. “I’ll go visit them before New year’s,” he promised, taking a step back to signal his want to retreat.

Natasha nodded, before getting up. She approached the man slowly, and hesitantly gave him a hug. Tony froze for a second but quickly reciprocated, patting her back.  

“Merry Christmas, Tony,” she whispered, pulling away to avoid making the man any more uncomfortable. She knew they had come a long way from when she had first arrived, but lately Tony had been pulling away again, and she wasn’t sure how to stop him from doing that. She didn’t really have a stronghold anywhere to make sure the friendship they were starting to build between the two wouldn’t just turn to dust. 

And, more importantly, she didn’t know why she cared so much. Maybe it was because she knew that this time it really had been her fuckup that had broken her friend’s heart, which made it almost imperative to get him back, to wash her hands from yet another stain.

Tony looked at the woman, forcing himself to leave all of his bullshit behind for a second to really look at her; he knew she was trying to make up for past mistakes. He also knew he had made his fair share of mistakes with her. 

“I got you a present,” he suddenly blurted out. “I… It’s in the workshop,” he admitted. He hadn’t actually been planning on giving the woman the present, but there was something about the Christmas tree brighten up the room, and her genuinely sorry eyes mixed with that shy smile of hers that made something dark and angry within Tony finally give way. 

Her eyes widened as she said “you did?” 

Tony nodded. “I… you wanna come with me to get it? It’s nothing too fancy,” Tony warned.

“I don’t think you and I have the same definitions of fancy,” Natasha teased, but took the man’s hand. “Lead the way,” she asked, feeling a glimmer of hope for what was to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long, but my schedule is ridiculously hectic and I have very little time to write. Also, this chapter was unplanned, because I forgot to include the second Christmas in my outline since I didn't realize that this is the second Christmas even though only a year has gone by (since CW happened so later during the year). 
> 
> As for the note you see written, I was inspired by [these](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/14/cute-kid-note-of-the-day-perfect-mantra_n_3588232.html%0A) [notes](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/17/cute-kid-note-of-the-day-three-sentences_n_3941158.html). 
> 
> I know I have so many comments both in this fic and the main fic that I still need to answer, but I currently don't have the time. Still, please do comment if you like because I LOVE reading what you think.


	3. The Children Are Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”   
> ― Hamilton Wright Mabie

“Stark,” Fury called from where he was sitting on the couch behind Tony inside his workshop. “I know you aren’t particularly good at keeping track of the dates, but Christmas is coming up in two weeks.” 

Tony froze for a second, hovering over the suit he was fixing. “And you’re telling me this, why?” He asked cautiously 

Fury rolled his eyes. “I am telling you this because you have two teenagers currently living in your house that have recently gone through very traumatic events, that don’t have any family members left, and that look at you for comfort so you better be planning something fucking good to help them celebrate Christmas with a smile on their face.” 

Tony stiffened further, and turned to face Fury. He looked rather stressed at the prospect of Christmas. “I… Fury you know I never really celebrated Christmas. It wasn’t a big deal in my house because Howard never had time to-”

“Tony-”

“I just don’t know what I’m supposed to plan,” Tony babbled, fidgeting with his hands. “Look, I don’t know what… Peter just lost his aunt and Kamala just lost her whole family. She still doesn’t know us well and she doesn’t talk much to anyone. They might just want to be left alone, Nick. I know  _ I  _ didn’t want people trying to cheer me up when my parents died and I didn’t want to celebrate fucking Christmas. I was pissed and I was hurt, and I didn’t want to pretend like I wasn’t. What if me trying to get them to celebrate Christmas just helps alienate them further?”

“Tony, Peter basically worships the ground you walk on,” the former director snapped, folding his arms. “Kamala might be shy, but you’re the only one she’s opened up to about her family, so she clearly trusts you. We both know they have been relying on you to guide them - Kamala even more than Peter given that she is not even from here.” 

Tony sighed, rubbing his face. “They need something - someone - to anchor them, Nick. They’re… adrift. They’ve lost everyone and they’re not even… Kamala is just sixteen and Peter is barely eighteen and celebrating Christmas is not going to-” 

“And who better than you to help? You know what losing your family feels like, Tony,” Fury pushed.

“Yeah but that’s not really… that’s not a healthy way for me to connect with them,” Tony said after a few seconds of struggling to find the right words. “How the fuck am I supposed to help them ground themselves?”

“You already know what I think about that,” Fury pointed out as he walked closer to Tony. 

Tony half snarled at the man. “Oh for fuck’s sake, I can’t just…. I am not their parent and they don’t view me that way-”

“It will provide them with the legal stability they are lacking right now - which they need as members of the Avenger initiative-”

“Kamala is not even an active member yet-”

“And it will show them how much you care about them. It will make your relationship with them tangible and permanent-”

“-A piece of paper won’t help us-”

“You know damn well that it is not just a fucking piece of paper, Stark, and you also know they’ll need the protection that comes with your fucking name so stop trying to interrupt me with bullshit excuses,” Fury growled, getting up close and personal. 

Tony took a step back and looked away, knowing that Fury did have a point. “I… what if they say no? What if… I am not father material, Nick. Howard sure as shit wasn’t and look how that turned out,” Tony said quietly, still not looking at Fury. 

“For the last time, you are not your father, Tony,” Fury said with a sigh. “You’ve never been anything like him, and you know it. Besides, if anyone raised you, it was your mother and Edwin Jarvis, or have you forgotten him?” 

Tony recoiled at the very insinuation, glaring at Fury with a hurt the director was far too acquainted with at this point. They both knew just how high Tony held Jarvis in his heart. The man had been his personal healing balm in human form. He and Maria had made Tony’s childhood somewhat bearable, and Jarvis had kept Tony’s head above the water after his parent’s murder. 

The man had been so important to Tony, in fact, he had named his most beloved AI after him, and it had crushed Tony to lose his AI. It had been a bit like losing his father figure again. It seemed like he was destined to lose all those he cared about.

“I… I’ll have the lawyers draw up the papers,” Tonys said finally. 

Fury squeezed Tony’s shoulder. “It will be alright, Tony. I know how much you care for them. You’re not going to screw this up.” 

Tony hummed. “It’s not just that, Nick. Once I adopt them… they’ll be Starks regardless of whether or not they adopt my last name. They might gain protection, but they’ll also get a lot of enemies.”

“Then perhaps it is time you show them what it means to be a Stark,” Fury said meaningfully, raising a brow. 

Tony froze as he turned to look at Fury straight in the eye, knowing exactly what the man was implying. “I don’t think that will go overtly well,” he said in a clipped town. 

Fury smirked. “I’ll make the arrangements for Christmas then.” 

Tony groaned “I’ll.... yeah ok I’ll just get the paperwork ready,” he said with a sigh before turning back around to find solace in his work. 

\---------------

“Peter stop ogling and come get your bag,” Tony called from the car as he opened the trunk. 

Kamala, who was standing next to Tony, immediately picked up both her bag and Peter’s, giving the man a shy smile before running up to the main path that led into the imposing red mansion. She handed Peter his things and remained standing next to him, taking in the old, almost nostalgic majesty of the property. 

It had obviously been carefully maintained throughout the years, but it was clear even from the outside that no one actively lived in the mansion in many, many years. The curtains were draw on what Kamala assumed was the living room, making it impossible to take a peek inside. 

“Alright, come on,” Tony said as he caught up with them, having lagged behind to gather his composure. He had come back to the mansion only once after his parents’ murder, and he wasn’t feeling particularly fabulous right now. Even after all the time that had passed, Tony couldn’t quite look at his childhood home without feeling cold and empty inside. 

He opened the wooden door with ease, though it did creak from disuse as Tony pushed it open to let the two teenagers inside. The main hall looked a bit dark as there were no windows there, but the hall soon opened up to reveal a spacious living room to the right and a dining room to the left. There seemed to be another room further down near the staircase, but Kamala couldn’t see what was in there. 

“I had people come over and clean the house, so you shouldn’t find anything too creepy laying around,” Tony quipped as he moved past them. “I’ll give you a tour of the house in a minute, but I want to show you to your rooms first.” 

Peter and Kamala both nodded, following Tony silently. They walked up the stairs and down a long hall. There were several doors on either side, but they were all closed and Kamala didn’t feel comfortable enough to pry. Tony opened a door to the right, almost at the end of the hall, and beckoned Kamala closer. 

“This is your room, Kam,” Tony said, half self-consciously as he moved to the side to let her in.

She put her bag down and looked around her, trying not to gape. Unlike the living room downstairs, this room looked… very modern. Everything, from the bed to the TV near the white desk, looked brand new. Not only that, but the room felt very much like her. The walls were painted with a light blue hue that made the room feel very welcoming. The large windows definitely helped with making the room light and friendly, and the decorations were beautiful. There was a round, deep blue cuddle couch by the panels, and a carpet that fitted it perfectly. The painting hanging on the wall looked like one she was pretty sure she had seen a few weeks ago and had shown interest in when they had gone out for ice cream with Tony.

All in all, the room was breathtakingly beautiful. She turned around slowly to face Tony, her eyes brimming with tears. “Did you… Did you do all this for me?” Her voice broke a bit at the end as she stumbled towards Tony. 

Tony nodded, swallowing hard. “Well, I didn’t know how long we’d be staying here, and we haven’t gotten around to finishing your room in the tower, so I figured I could have this house renewed a bit-”

Kamala threw herself at Tony and hugged him tightly, a few tears escaping her. “Thank you,” she whispered, unable to say more at the moment. 

This was Tony’s childhood home, and yet he had made a place for her here. Kamala couldn’t quite understand the man’s kindness, but she wasn’t about to question it. 

Tony patted her back and kissed her forehead. “I’m glad you like it,” he said happily, before turning to look at Peter. “You ready to see your room?”

Peter beamed at Tony and nodded, letting Tony lead the way while still half hugging Kamala. Peter’s room was across the hall from Kamala, which was rather fitting, considering how much time the two had started spending together lately.

Tony opened the door, but let Peter in first, smiling softly when he heard the young man let out a shuddering gasp.

The room looked more like a library than a bedroom. Instead of smooth walls there were racks filled almost entirely with books, comic books and what seemed to be records and small gadgets. There was only one wall to the right, and it seemed to be there for the sole purpose of holding a panel of pictures of the city. There was also a desk underneath the pictures, where a brand new computer sat.

Peter immediately ran towards the nearest bookshelf, staring in awe at the titles of the numerous books filling the shelf. He was pretty sure he had never seen this many book in a single room. He turned to look at Tony, only to realize that that wall was filled with books too. 

“Oh my god, this is amazing,” Peter breathed out, trying his hardest not to geek out. “This is just… how did you even… oh my god there’s so many books.”

Tony chuckled. “I ordered two copies of most of these, in case you want to read them at the compound as well. I know you wanted to redo your room there, so I wasn’t sure… well if you like this, we can make a similar design back at the compound.”

“Like it? I love it. Thank you so much, Tony!” Peter said, running to the man to give him a hug.

“Well I’m glad you both like your rooms,” Tony said quietly, before taking a step back. “I… well there’s a few things I have to do before people start trickling in tonight to celebrate Christmas tomorrow. I’ll come back in a bit to give you the tour. Oh, and remember there’s no FRIDAY  here. I haven’t been here in years, so I haven’t gotten around to installing her because there’s no mainframe here.”

Both kids looked shocked at that, but nodded, letting Tony slip away without much fuss. Kamala looked around Peter’s room and smiled softly. “You know, whenever I heard of Tony stark when I was growing up, I never thought he’d be this nice.”

Peter smiled. “There’s a lot more to him that meets the eye,” he said with a wink. “I’ve only known him for a few years, but he really is the kindest man I know.” 

\-----------------------

Showing them around the house had not been nearly as bad as Tony had expected. It still stung to walk around the mansion, knowing his mother had walked around those same rooms, but with the kids in tow it didn’t feel as depressing to be back. 

It had been funny, even, to see them gape at the vastness of the house. There were over seven bedrooms, more than two livingrooms - his father had differentiated them based on the purpose they served but to anyone else they were just another room - and far too many bathrooms. They had loved the basement and the attic, and they had spent hours running around the grounds, which led into a small private forest they had used as their personal hide and seek playground. 

Tony was pretty sure he hadn’t seen either of them this happy since their respective families had died, which gave him the strength to sit them down after dinner to talk about the future. 

He had made dinner for the two of them proving that yes, he was actually a very good cook - it was just basic chemistry really - and could eat a full meal from time to time. Peter had eyed his food cautiously at first, leaving Kamala to be the brave soul to try it first to see if it was edible or not.

It had been rather satisfying to see Kamala’s expression of pleased shock when she had taken that first bite of her pasta. It had given Tony bragging rights for the rest of the meal, much to the amusement of the two teenagers. For the first time in months, they all had been able to wind down, to ignore the outside world and the troubles they faced there. 

Tony was pretty sure he had never seen Kamala laugh that much, and Peter too had reverted to his old, sweet self. The two were an unlikely pair. They were very different people, which often led them to bicker , but, surprisingly enough, it was obvious to Tony that they cared for each other very very deeply. 

He didn’t have any siblings, so he couldn’t claim to be an expert on how one acted with one’s sibling, but he was pretty sure the two would soon become as inseparable as any two siblings.

“Tony” Kamala called, frowning softly when Tony didn’t answer immediately. 

“Sorry,” he answered when he finally snapped out of his reverie. “I got distracted. Right, well, there was something I wanted to discuss with both of you before everyone gets here tomorrow.” 

Peter fidgeted at that. “Is something wrong?”

“No, of course not,” Tony was quick to reassure with a squeeze of his hand. “I just wanted to talk about… the future. Your future.” That didn’t help erase the look of anxiety off of Peter’s face. “Okay, first, breathe, it’s really nothing Peter, I promise.” 

Kamala smiled at Tony’s attempt to be soothing. “We know it can’t be all that bad, because you seem calm. So, we’re listening, Tony.” 

“Right… well, uh, you both have powers,” Tony began, trying unsuccessfully to communicate his thoughts. “And eventually you will become Avengers.”

“I thought I already was one,” Peter said with a soft frown. “I was supposed to sign the contract in a week, no?”

“Well, yes, and that’s sort of one of the things I wanted to get at. You are both still very young, and Kamala - you won’t have to sign for another two years - but you are in a more precarious position because legally you are a refugee at the moment and… okay I really suck at this, and I’m sorry about that, but what I’m trying to get at is that I think I found a way to keep you both safe, regardless of whether you want to be Avengers or not.” 

“What do you mean?” Kamala said, sounding cautious. 

“You both are superpowered beings, and you are without protection. I… I care a lot about both of you. I think you know that by now. You have been… look, I guess the best way I can say this is that you are like family to me, and family means we watch each other’s backs.” 

Kamala nodded, her eyes prickling with tears. 

“So, I am offering you that protection,” Tony ended, passing a stack of documents to each. “You don’t have to give me an answer right-” Tony stopped when he heard Peter gasp. “Uh, Well, I mean this is just one option Nick and I thought of. It makes sense because it will give me the power to make legal decisions for both of you until you are twenty one - generally it’s eighteen but we changed that for your particular cases - and I will take care of any legalities that might come your way. My name will also grant you a lot of protection both in and out of the country. I mean I do have a lot of enemies but-” Tony realised he was rambling, but in his panic he couldn’t quite find a way to stop himself. “- again, it’s just an idea-”

Peter grabbed Tony’s hand, knowing just how long the man could ramble once he was off. That of course, had the desired effect; Tony stopped rambling and his brilliant eyes zeroed in on Peter, giving the young man the enormous privilege of having the genius’s undivided attention and focus. 

“Uh,” Peter cleared his throat, suddenly feeling tongue tied. “I… I mean this sounds awesome, but I wouldn’t want you to… You’ve already done so much for us, Tony. I don’t want to-”

Tony squeezed Peter’s hand. “You’re not a burden, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Tony said with a small smile. He took a deep breath and steeled himself . “I love both of you, Peter, and… I know I will never replace the people that you’ve lost, but… I care for you just like they did. Never doubt that.” 

Kamla picked up the documents with shaky hands, her eyes tearing up quickly. She read over the first page quickly, picking up the pen Tony had left on the table. “I just have one question,” she said, her voice remaining steady despite her teary eyes. “If I become your daughter, can I keep my last name? I...  I’d like to keep a piece of my family with me that way.” 

“Of course,” Tony assured her. “As I said, I’m not trying to replace or erase your past. You don’t need my last name to legally be a Stark. Neither of you do.” 

Kamala smiled and nodded, turning to the last page to sign. “Don’t you want to read it first?” Tony asked, making Kamala look up. 

“What is there to read? My family is dead, and now you are offering me a place in your own. You are offering protection and a home.” Kamala signed the documents and stood up, coming closer to hug Tony. “Thank you.”

Tony kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly before letting her go. Peter handed his own set of signed papers to Tony, giving the man a shy smile as he hugged him. 

“I guess we really are family now,” he mused as he rested his head on Tony’s shoulder. 

“You might live to regret it,” Tony warned softly, running a hand through Peter’s hair - a habit that had formed during the months Tony had had to comfort the boy after his aunt’s death. 

“I don’t think I will,” Peter said confidently, melting into the hug. “But thanks for the warning.” 

* * *

“I can’t believe we are actually here,” Rhodes half whispered as he got out of the jet, followed by Natasha and Fury. “I haven’t been here since Tony invited me for Thanksgiving during his second year of college.”

Natasha didn’t get the chance to reply as Vision chose that moment to land next to the three of them. “Is there a reason why we are waiting outside?” He asked curiously, tilting his head to look at Natasha.

“No, there isn’t,” Fury grunted. “C’mon. They got here yesterday, so Tony must have finished talking to the kids by now.” 

“Why did he need to talk to the children? Did something happen?” Natasha asked immediately, worry furrowing her brow.

“It wasn’t anything bad,” Fury said quickly to ease her worry. “It was just… legalities.” 

“Bullshit,” Natasha said, stepping up to block Fury’s way. “What are you hiding, Nick?” 

The spy sighed. He knew he could easily dismiss the woman, or at least he could mislead her, but they were all bound to find out soon. A Stark adopting two teenagers wasn’t going to just pass as an everyday thing; it would cause an explosion in the media, so really giving the team a heads up was probably not such a bad idea. “Tony wanted to come early to talk to the kids about adopting them. They’re both still minors, and Tony can offer a wealth of protections. We had a discussion about it, and I explained that they need a paternal figure now that they don’t have any family left, and they feel most comfortable with Tony.” 

Natasha gaped at the man. “Wait, so… Are you telling me Tony Stark is a father now?” 

“Is there a problem with that?” Fury asked coldly, immediately becoming defensive. There was no no way in hell he was going to let Natasha ruin the moment by letting out some insensitive comment in front of Tony. 

“Of course not,” She said, recoiling back in surprise, feeling a sting of anger at knowing that Fury actually thought he needed to protect Tony from her. 

She had taken a bullet for the man, for fuck’s sake. If that didn’t scream “I care about you” she didn’t know what did. Yes, she had made dubious choices when Steve had first left them, but that had happened two years ago. She and Tony had finally moved past that. They understood each other; they  _ trusted _ each other. And yeah, sometimes old resentments came to the surface, and Tony never quite opened up one hundred percent, but they both knew they could now count on the other if push came to shove. And that - that warm trust - was more than Natasha deserved, and she wasn’t willing to give it up any time soon. 

“Good,” Fury said, not apologizing for his comment. “Let’s go inside then.” He pushed past the group, not turning back to look at them. He didn’t particularly care if he looked like a bastard right now or not. They all needed to understand that Tony’s relationship with the kids was off limits when it came to comments. 

Fury knew Natasha meant no harm, and he knew any surprise forthcoming from the group would not hold any malice, but even surprise at this point could be hurtful. Tony’s relationship with the two teenagers - particularly his relationship with Kamala - was still too young to face critiques. 

They were still trying to figure out the dynamics that came with their new roles. They were still trying to figure out whether they could trust Tony to catch them if they fell, and Tony was still trying to figure out if he could guide them and love them regardless of what came their way. 

Fury, who knew Tony better than even the genius himself knew, was more than confident that they would soon be just like any other family, but it was crucial that they received as much support now as the team could provide.

And he would make damn sure they got just that. 

\----------------

“You know what I’m really wondering,” Tony said amicably as he stretched against the counter, “if you’re here, then who the hell is cooking the turkey?” 

His best friend rolled his eyes but smiled. “Natasha is taking care of it. All that’s left to make is the gravy, and she said she has a special recipe, so I left her to it.” 

Tony chuckled but nodded, turning just in time to see Peter topple over Kamala outside as they played laser tag with Vision. He smiled when he saw Fury scream at the from the sidelines. Tony was pretty sure his kids were going to give Fury a heart attack one day. 

He froze then, when the thought stuck him that he was now thinking of them as _ his  _ kids. It hadn’t even been twenty four hours, and he already thought of them as his kids. Dammit. 

Well it wasn’t exactly true, was it? He had begun thinking of Peter as his own protege long before the boy’s aunt had died, and he had felt the same pull to protect Kamala when he had found her dying in the middle of a city in Pakistan, where she had been visiting some of her family members. 

“You alright?” Rhodey asked after a few seconds, gently knocking Tony’s arm with his own. “You seem distracted.” 

“I’m fine,” Tony assured him, squeezing his best friend’s arm reassuringly. “I’m… I’ll be back in a bit, there’s something I have to check on.” 

Tony walked up to the attic, opening the door to the one room he had not showed Kamala and Peter when he had showed them around the house. 

He had shared many stories of his childhood with the two, trying to make it clear that being a Stark was not all that it seemed. He wanted them to be ready for what was to come. He knew the media would come down on them hard, trying to find every juicy bit of info they could get on Peter and Kamala. He knew they would anything but normal lives now that they were so intrinsically tied with Tony, so, before even telling them about the adoption papers, he had made sure they understood just how fucked up being in the spotlight could be.

This room though, he had not had the strength to show them. It held too many ghosts. Tony walked deeper into the bright, moonlit room. It had been very dark once, before his mother had taken a liking to it and had remodeled the whole thing. She had set up Nanawalls to let more sunshine and moon light filter in, while still allowing the acoustics of the room to work in favor of the grand piano that outshone everything else in the room. 

Tony walked towards the piano, touching the dusty wooden case that kept him from looking at the old keys. He had no idea if the piano was still tuned. He had sent someone to tune it twice in the past two years, but he hadn’t really given the piano the care it needed to be fully preserved. 

Still, according to the man he had hired, the Piano was still in pretty good conditions. 

His hands itched to play again, but his sense of self preservation and his sanity held him back.

“Tony?” 

The man froze, fingers hovering over the top edge of the piano. “Peter,” he breathed out, his fingers snapping back to his sides. “What are you doing here?” 

“I, uh… well dinner’s ready,” he explained, blushing softly. “Um, sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine,” Tony said, looking away. “I was just… this was my mother’s piano room,” he explained, motioning towards the piano. “She… she taught me how to play when I was little. We spent a lot of time here together,” he half whispered, his eyes far away. “I wasn’t a bad player, but she just… She always one step ahead, just like my old man with his inventions.” Tony smiled self-deprecatingly, shaking away the memories. “Anyway, it doesn’t really matter anymore.” 

Peter stepped into the room cautiously, not sure exactly just how many memories this room held for Tony. “Have you… were you going to play?”

“Oh god no,” Tony replied immediately. “I haven’t played in years. No, no I just… I haven’t been in this room in over twenty years. I figured it was time to…” 

Peter squeezed Tony’s hand in understanding. “Can we stay here for a little bit?” He asked, knowing that Tony wasn’t quite ready to leave, but he wasn’t quite ready to stay either. 

“Uh, yeah, sure, I… yeah,” Tony said, walking them both towards one of the sofas. “Though there’s nothing particularly fun to do here,” he pointed out as he plopped down on the sofa. 

Peter shrugged and pulled out a stack of cards. “Well, I’m not really hungry right now, so we can just… play a few rounds.” 

Tony smirked. “You’re on.” 

\---------------

Tony wasn’t sure how long they stayed in his mother’s piano room, but soon enough, Natasha and the rest had made their way upstairs. They had found the two talking quietly, both looking tired and melancholic. 

Still, they didn’t seem particularly upset to see the team come up. Natasha was the first to make her way inside. She didn’t ask why they had stayed up, she didn’t ask what exactly was it about this room that made Tony look so sad. She just came and sat on the floor, resting her back against Tony’s legs, and Tony was eternally grateful for her at that moment. 

The others soon crowded the two sofas, having brought with them food for the two strays. Tony thanked them for the food, and dug in, feeling uncharacteristically hungry, much to the team’s pleasure. It was rare to see him eat, particularly when his past dragged him down. 

Rhodey smiled as his friend put his plate down, having eaten the whole thing. He felt it a personal win to see Tony actually eat a whole plate of food. His happiness soon turned to surprise, however, when he saw Tony’s hand delicately fall on top of Natasha’s shoulder, rubbing it lightly, almost unconsciously. 

He saw Natasha lean ever so slightly into the touch, happy to continue being engrossed in whatever story it was that Peter was telling them.

Rhodey’s lips twitched as he kept himself from smiling. He was pretty sure neither of the two saw it just yet, but he was pretty sure there was something more than just friendship blooming in the horizon for the two of them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for the long delay. Life is crazy. 
> 
> Anyway, notes about the chapter
> 
> 1) I don't like the Mansion they portray in the MCU, so I looked up my own mansion. I drew inspirations from [here](http://www.kelseywilliams.realtytrust.com/?p=findahome.asp&listing=true&mlsid=267&mlsnumber=15174221). For Kamala's room I drew inspiration from [here](http://decorcrave.com/5-awesome-color-schemes-for-beautiful-girls-rooms.html/dream-bedrooms-for-teenage-girls-bluepopular-wallpapers-bkvuf7vi-2/). For Peter's room I drew inspiration from [here](http://rebloggy.com/post/love-bedroom-book-old-school-wow-books-nerd-antique-passion-studying-decor-book/45880962741), [here](http://favim.com/image/2074282/), and [here](https://www.google.com/search?q=teenage+bedroom+photography&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS696US696&espv=2&biw=1220&bih=617&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjZ59ad_JnQAhVJxYMKHVGjANAQ_AUIBigB#q=teenage%20bedroom%20photography&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg%3ACQXkdmSJAyUiIjhgCTGzMaCncQWVcTbPJTDJW0ySXcDxl8kJhbm8gMQgAowq7tQRVq7KMedJKcA_1FbTnQoSTjtwOoCoSCWAJMbMxoKdxESCYMMwiPAcAKhIJBZVxNs8lMMkRgwBKvYQh7_1QqEglbTJJdwPGXyRFApvk6_10EXGioSCQmFubyAxCACESIfzCn1zIUkKhIJjCru1BFWrsoR1Mf7bxFrYh0qEgkx50kpwD8VtBFYjwx-rBi6cioSCedChJOO3A6gEWDPZxO-2C3F&imgrc=vUAyhDXG0sBpwM%3A). As for the piano room, I drew inspiration from the living room seen [here](http://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/forth-house-livingston-new-york-hottenroth-joseph-architects-slideshow/all). I also pictured the piano room with nana walls, which one of my friends pointed me to, as she is studying architecture. You can find samples of nana walls [here.](http://www.fixityourself.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/NanaWall2.jpg)
> 
> I am pretty sure there were other things I was supposed to mention but I can't remember so I guess it wasn't that important, haha. In any case, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh I hope you liked the first chapter! It may take me a while to upload the next one because I first have to put up chapter 18 of the main fic. 
> 
> Anyway let me know what you think!


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